Badminton Partners
by thepragmatist
Summary: In which Kanda likes to play alone. That is, until an idiot moyashi decides he wants a badminton partner. Shounen-ai Yullen oneshot


When Yuu Kanda was young, he used to join the many other locals at a nearby park every morning. Although all the others were all joyfully participating in all sorts of activities such as badminton, fan dancing, or martial arts, Kanda preferred to take quiet walks around the lake, scowling at the slow walkers who took up the entire path, forcing him to get unnecessarily close to other human beings. Which Kanda, even at a young age, hated.

Unlike the rest of his family, all of whom had found something of interest to participate in with others in the community, Kanda stayed by himself. Though it was customary to ask to participate in an activity, Kanda refused to be the one to ask another to "play" with him. And so, Kanda spent his mornings alone with him and his thoughts.

That is, until he met a certain small brown haired boy who had just moved into the town.

-

**Badminton Partners  
**A/N: I've been living in China for the past bit and every morning I go to a nearby park where they have the groups of fan dancers or tai-chi..ers as well as pairs of badminton players which inspired me to write this. The background information is (cleverly) inserted by means of Mana. Enjoy.  
Pairing: KandaxAllen  
Warnings: Non-beta'ed (not like I ever do), Shounen-ai, unnecessary amount of breaks, moyashi being used 13 times,  
which is unlucky.

-

Allen looked around excitedly at the people around him in the park. His small hand gripped his adoptive father's hand tightly as he heard the man began to speak.

"You see them over there, Allen?" Mana crouched over slightly and looked toward a group of people going through tai-chi poses and actions. "They're all following the that man standing at the very front. Usually in these groups, there's one 'master' who starts out practicing on his own and steadily people just come up and ask to join him. That's the case with all these groups out here. You can just walk around and choose what you want to do!"

"Ah! But what if they don't let you join? Allen asked, tugging on his father's sleeve.

Mana laughed "Silly child, that won't happen –Oh! Look over there." Mana slowed again and Allen followed suit. "You see those two people;" He pointed to two people hitting a little birdie back and forth. "They could be complete strangers, yet one day they started this game of badminton, and from that day on they get up every day to play with one another. They are committed to each other as partners."

Allen looked over in surprise. "Wow! But what if one doesn't show up—"

Mana laughed and interrupted, "Then they wait but they are still partners and they depend on each other for their morning exercise. Everyone around here is so fit because not only are they responsible for their health and enjoyment, they also have other people depending on them. That's why everyone here is so committed."

As the two newcomers continued to walk along the paved path, taking in the nature and beauty of the community around them, Allen knew what he wanted to do for his morning activity. He wanted to play badminton. Not because he had any specific interest in the sport, but because he wanted someone he could depend on and someone who depended on him. Even if it was just playing badminton every morning, he wanted the relationship that his father had just described.

-

Early next morning, Allen dragged out a bag with the two badminton rackets and birdies he and his father had bought the day before. While Mana was still snoring softly in his room, Allen left the house quickly and headed for the nearby park.

Yawning, Allen dragged the bag down the path, looking around for someone to play with. Most of the people were already occupied and the others were old and tired sitting quietly on the benches. Frowning, the small boy refused to be discouraged and continued around the park.

He had almost given up when he found a girl with long black hair speed walking around the paths. Running to catch up, he called out to the girl. "Ah! Onee-chan! Would you like to play badminton with me!"

The girl stopped, allowing Allen to reach her before she whipped around. Allen took a few steps back at the murderous glare. "What. Did. You say?"

Allen cleared his throat. "I said, 'would you like to play badminton with me?' Please Onee-chan?"

Allen watched curiously as the young girl clenched her fists tightly and counted to ten slowly. When that did nothing, the girl spun around quickly and marched away muttering angrily. Confused and disappointed Allen continued on his quest for his partner.

After more searching, he slowed down, huffing for air. He had already circled the park twice and had yet to come across anyone to be his partner. Discouraged and disappointed, Allen trudged slowly along, considering just joining one of the many tai-chi groups, or perhaps that small group doing martial arts; it would come in handy—

Allen's train of thought was cut off when he was plowed over from behind. Raising his face up from the dirt, he felt another body slam onto his. He craned his neck backward to see who had carelessly run him over when he heard the individual growl out angrily,

"Stupid kid! Where did you come from, you tiny moyashi!"

Allen would have replied had he not noticed the state of one of his rackets. It had been bent from the fall and the handle hand bent all the way through the net.

_Now there's no way I can get a badminton partner!_ Allen thought woefully as tears began to fill his eyes.

The "girl" who had refused Allen's request to play and then accidently run over the small boy was now watching as Allen tried to control his tears.

"Hey…Hey kid.. don't cry! Stop it!"

But his "gentle" consoling only resulted in Allen's lip beginning to quiver and his sniffles getting louder. Frantic, the "girl" ran to a nearby bench where her family had left their sports bag. Grabbing the extra badminton racket she ran back to the sobbing boy.

"Moyashi! Hey, stop crying! I'll..I'll play with you!"

Allen looked up, surprised. "R-Really?"

She nodded, holding out a racket. Allen hastily wiped his tears on his sleeves and stood up, grabbing his good racket and the birdies off the floor.

He gave a watery smile and offered, "My name is Allen Walker." The girl snorted and looked down at him lazily. Seeing that she wasn't going to reply on his own, Allen asked, "what's your name?"

Giving an exasperated sigh, the girl answered, "Kanda and you shouldn't give away your full name to a stranger."

Allen cocked his head to the side. "But we're not gunna be strangers. We're gunna be partners!"

Kanda cringed at the boy's eager smile and sighed again, giving in. "Fine, stupid kid. Yuu Kanda"

"Ok Yuu! I'll serve!" Allen stepped back.

"Don't call me Yuu!" Kanda snarled.

Allen blinked. "But what do I call you then?"

"Just Kanda."

The smaller boy grinned despite his new friend's scowl. "Okay I guess. Just because we're strangers now. But after we play for a long time we can call each other by our first names, okay?"

"Tch. Whatever."

Ignoring his friend's grumpy disposition, Allen served the birdie and another commitment was formed.

-

It had been a few days since Kanda and Allen began playing with each other and to say they had difficulty would be an understatement.

"Stupid moyashi! Hit the bird back already! Why did you want to play badminton anyways when you suck so much?"

"Shut up! And don't call it that!"

"Call it the bird? Why not?" Kanda sneered

"Because it's mean! It's like we're hitting a poor bird." Allen sniffed

Kanda rolled his eyes before smirking and hitting the birdie extra hard on his next swing. FWACK! "Take that little _birdie_!"

"Stop it!" Allen cried, lobbing it back underhand.

"Make me." FWAP! Kanda spiked it hard back to the smaller boy who ran forward to catch it. He leaned forward and hit the birdie back up. Both boys looked up, squinting into the sun to see the little ball come back toward the ground.

Kanda took a step back, aimed, and FWAP!

The birdie went flying at top speed…straight at Allen's head. The little toy bopped him on the head and Allen cried out, not so much as in pain as in anger.

"You meanie!" Allen yelled and lunged at Kanda, toppling them both over. He grabbed his racket and started whacking the older boy on the head.

Others in the park didn't even pause in their activities, already used to the constant and borderline violent bickering of the two boys.

-

Although Kanda had hated the little crybaby moyashi who had the gall to call him a girl, he had grown used to playing badminton every morning with him. Oddly enough, even though he had considered many times not showing up to play with the small boy, he still always packed an extra racket and headed towards the spot he and the moyashi would meet.

It had been almost a year since he and Allen had first met and although in the beginning Allen had made many attempts to call the boy 'Kanda,' after being hit in the head with the birdie, Allen began to stop, though he did make the occasional attempt.

Kanda considered letting Allen call him by his first name soon. After all they had known each other for almost a year. Not that he was counting. No, that was too cliché and pointless for Kanda's taste.

Kanda reached their meeting spot early and leaned lazily against the tree, twirling his badminton racket between his fingers. He yawned quietly, rubbing his eye. Now thirteen, he had been training in kendo and karate and all the physical activity was beginning to wear him out. The only reason he continued getting up at this obscene hour to play with a little brat was that he was just used to waking up this early and therefore couldn't break his habit of badminton in the morning. At least that's what he told himself.

Kanda waited and there was no sign of the brown haired boy running down the path, racket and birdies cluttered in a bag.

Getting impatient, he picked up a stone and skipped it across the water in the pond watching as it struck a lotus bloom. Last time he had done it, Allen had protested it loudly as hurting the environment. Kanda snorted and called Allen a girl for having such interest in pretty little flowers.

This time however, there were no loud protests and no angry little hands pulling down at Kanda's arm.

Sighing, Kanda looked up as the sun continued to rise into the sun and realized for the first time in almost a year, he wouldn't be playing badminton with a little moyashi that morning.

-

Tiedoll finished up leading his tai-chi group after an hour and a half. Wiping the sweat from his brow he looked around the park for the rest of his happy family. It seemed that everyone was just about ready to go. In fact, Kanda had already packed up and was heading toward his father.

"Kanda, my boy! Done already? Where's your little fri-"

"Shut up." The young teen shouldered past his father and continued on toward the house.

Rubbing his arm absently, Tiedoll called up the rest of the family to head home. As they walked back, Tiedoll frowned as he tried to remember the last time he saw Allen in the morning. In fact, it felt like he hadn't seen the boy in weeks. When they arrived at the house, Kanda was nowhere in sight.

Sending the rest of the kids into the kitchen for breakfast, Tiedoll descended the stairs into their family dojo and heard grunts and hits, muffled by the screen doors. Leaning gently against the wall, he continued to listen to his youngest son practice, unsurprised when Kanda came out with red rings around his eyes and labored breathing that didn't just come from the exercise.

Knowing the stubborn and short-tempered pre-teen would undoubtedly resist, the man still stepped forward and hugged Kanda tightly in his arms.

-

It had been more than four years since the first time Allen missed badminton. In fact he never showed up again after that.

Though Kanda denied it vehemently, he had been furious and hurt. He refused to continue badminton, after all, how could he without his moyashi of a partner, and returned to his quiet strolls and ignored the other patrons of the park.

Then two years later, at the suggestion of his old man, Kanda began training instead of just walking in the mornings. He meditated and went through poses and routines to keep his body in top condition.

Though usually the high level of his skill and the accuracy of his movements would attract many others to ask to practice with him, his reputation and hateful expression kept everyone at bay. There were few that attempted to ask to join him and he refused them all just the same. Kanda had already decided that his mornings were meant to be spent alone.

And so every morning he walked to the same place in the park and go through his motions, refusing to acknowledge the happy locals around him.

That is, until he met a certain white haired teen who had just returned.

-

Kanda woke earlier than usual and instead of attempting to return to sleep, he decided to go to the park early before all the annoying neighbors decided to disturb his peace. Slipping on his sandals he padded out down the road to the park.

He headed toward the side of the pond; the same place he had been practicing for the last two years. Oddly enough, also the same place he and Allen had played badminton all those years ago. Kanda didn't understand why he kept returning to this area but decided he was just used to it and people already knew it was his spot anyways and so left the place clear.

After a half an hour of meditation, the sun was just beginning to rise and the air was beginning to heat up. Kanda leaned against the tree as he took off his sandals and resumed his stance before going through the routine again.

"Can I join you?"

Kanda jumped, though if you asked him he would deny ever doing such a thing, and whipped around staring at the intruder. On the other side of the tree stood a teen a few years younger than himself with snow white hair and a strange star design on his face. Kanda narrowed his eyes at the boy and turned around.

"No." Kanda said coldly before ignoring the boy in favor of going through his routine again.

The boy spluttered, "H-hey! Normally one's more flattered to be asked to be a master!"

Kanda scoffed, "Normally, one doesn't have white hair when they haven't even hit puberty yet."

The Asian teen took silent pleasure as the other boy's face turned bright red. He turned away from the shorter teen and concentrated on his motions again, determined to ignore the white-haired nuisance.

After a few minutes of silent concentration, Kanda became aware of surroundings again when he noticed there was another presence near again. As he turned toward the other, he realized it wasn't a new nuisance. In fact the old nuisance had never left. And this old nuisance was now..copying..him.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Kanda snarled.

The boy broke position to look up at the angry teen. "Nothing." He paused. "Master." He added as an afterthought, face breaking into a smug grin.

"Shut up!" Kanda growled. "Stop following me, and leave me alone!"

"I'm not following you," the boy blinked innocently. "I just happen to be doing the same exercises and poses as you." He stretched back into position and smirked mischeviously. "Are you sure _you_'re not the one following _me_?"

If Mt. Kanda was a volcano he was pretty sure it would've erupted just then.

-

After the little white-haired nuisance first introduced himself to Kanda, he never seemed to leave his side. Every morning Kanda found the annoying boy waiting for him by the side of the pond under the big tree. And every morning the boy would stand near Kanda, close enough to watch his movements, but far enough to claim he was on his own.

Kanda had decided from the beginning that since yelling and threatening didn't seem to do anything to the dense teen, ignoring him was the best option. However, the stranger didn't take any offense and just continued to watch and follow, thwarting Kanda's attempts to spend the morning in solitude.

And very much like another annoying brat, the stranger had become an irritating but constant part of Kanda's routine.

All until one night where Kanda had a very illuminating dream that had him waking up feeling like he was thirteen again.

In his dream, he saw the new boy, who, in his effort to ignore the nuisance's existence never found out anything about, even his name. Or rather, Kanda didn't see him. As if it was five years ago, Kanda was waiting at the big tree by the pond. After a while, Kanda realized he had been waiting for the strange boy who had, like Allen, never shown up. And though Kanda was convinced it was just the dream, he felt the familiar feelings of betrayal and, dare he say it, heartbreak, crawling back. Feelings he had buried since he was thirteen.

Kanda woke up sweating and though he knew it was just a dream and that what did he care about some stupid boy who wouldn't leave him alone, the dream continued to bother his subconscious even as he arrived at the park the following morning.

His mind was still occupied with the dream but found it abnormally difficult to ignore the other boy. He couldn't stop thinking about Allen and the effect it had on him when he left. So much that Kanda decided he couldn't stand the other boy's presence any longer. So when the stranger tentatively called out "Uhm, you okay there?" Kanda snapped and decided to drive away the other before he left on his own.

Whirling around at the shorter boy, Kanda's eyes narrowed dangerously. "No, I'm not ok. Because there's some stupid brat who won't leave me alone." He snarled at the boy. "Learn to take a hint and get lost! Stop annoying me, you idiot moyashi!"

Both Kanda and the stranger froze.

"M-Moyashi?" the strange boy whispered.

Kanda didn't know what had possessed him to call the boy that. The boy was considerably shorter than him, but he also looked younger. He was just so infuriating and annoying that he reminded Kanda so much of

"Allen…"

The boy's head snapped up, eyes widened in surprise before narrowing in confusion. He stared at Kanda's face before a look of surprise and recognition flitted across his face. "K-Kanda?"

The two teens stood facing each other both frozen in shock.

Kanda was the first to snap out of it and in two long strides was standing inches away from the other boy.

And in one swoop…whacked the boy on the head. Allen cried out angrily. "What was that for?!"

"_WHAT WAS THAT FOR?_ YOU DISAPPEAR FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS AND YOU ASK ME _'WHAT WAS THAT FOR?_' IDIOT MOYASHI!"

Mt. Kanda had just erupted for the second time.

"What the hell? Stupid brat! Not so much as a 'goodbye' or any warning at all and you just leave! If we still played badminton, I'd pelt you to death with birdies before clubbing you with your own damn racket!"

Kanda calmed down from his yelling enough to notice that tears were pouring down Allen's face.

"Idiot moyashi, crying again? You're such a girl!" Kanda sneered, but still bent down slightly to examine the crying boy. "Why are you crying now, moyashi? Not like I actually broke your racket this time."

For the second time in his life, Kanda jumped when Allen suddenly threw himself at the taller teen, crying and laughing at the same time. "I'm so happy." Allen declared, "Father was right. He was right all along."

"What are you babbling about?"

Allen looked up and grinned through his tears. "He said that badminton partners were irrevocably committed to each other and no matter what always got up to exercise and play together. Even after all these years where I've lost all my friends, my home and even my dear father himself, I still have you, Kanda."

"This is what I hoped for," Allen hugged Kanda tighter, "When I asked you to play with me."

Kanda snorted but found himself winding his arms around the annoying moyashi of a boy.

-

Yes, when Yuu Kanda was young, he used to join the many other locals at a nearby park every morning. And like the others, he too (although probably not joyfully) participated in one of the various activities available.

That is, until he realized it was utterly and irrevocably in love with his badminton partner.

-

**A/N: **Leaves alotta things in the open, BUT THAT'S MY INTENTION. erk..


End file.
